This is the dramatic moment a gun-wielding robber stole gold jewellery in a brazen shopping mall heist in Thailand.

The suspect wore a full-face helmet and a deliveryman's jacket as he strode into the shop in Samut Prakan province on August 14.

CCTV footage shows him threatening a security guard with a gun before vaulting over the shop counter to ransack the displays.

Terrified clerks fled as the man stuffed gold necklaces worth more than eight million baht (182,000 GBP) into his black sling bag. He then bolted from the scene and escaped on a black Honda motorcycle without a license plate.

Police said the robbery occurred at 3:50 pm local time. They reviewed CCTV footage and found the suspect had fled along Debaratna Road towards Chonburi, south of Bangkok.

Police Major General Wichit Boonchinwuthikul, commander of Samut Prakan Provincial Police, said: ‘The suspect was acting alone, and we believed he had planned the crime carefully. He was able to steal 59 gold necklaces. The stolen items are worth over eight million baht.

‘Currently, we have ordered investigators from Provincial Police Region 1 and local police stations to track down the suspect. We have also coordinated with investigation divisions in this area and nearby provinces.'

A mall security guard said he had ordered the gunman to remove his helmet according to store policy.

He said: 'Our mall rules require customers to remove helmets before entering. I told him to take it off, but he pulled a gun on me, so I stepped back. The whole robbery was over in around five minutes.'

Police said they were pursuing the suspect and have been warned to be especially careful because he is armed.

Police Major General Wichit said: 'If he resists, they are allowed to use lethal measures immediately.'

(1 GBP = 43.97 THB)